Director Pierre Morel's "Taken" transcended being just a slam bang action suspense! There was more there that's obviously absent in Morel's latest, "From Paris With Love".
I don't remember being so annoyed watching a protagonist for more than a good half of the film!
Wax (John Travolta) is a secret agent flown in by the U.S. government to pair up with eager-beaver newbie James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) to stop sinister plans by terrorists, but as we are introduced to Wax (who, as a secret agent, has the subtle sophistication of say, Kris Aquino), we see a crass mutant who: 1. imposes that his partner snort cocaine while on the job; 2. shags a dazed hooker in the midst of an operation; 3. sneaks in ammunitions through French airport immigration (this is a US federal agent, geez!); 4. looks menacingly ugly! If Morel and Luc Besson (who wrote the story) thought this was "cool" - what morons?
I don't trumpet morality on screen but showing them off like they're hip is just plain dumb! They were supposed to avert terrorism, not promote drug addiction, solicitation, vigilantism and blatant anti-social behavior!
Sure, the car chases and the explosions will eventually take your mind off these lapses of judgment (and Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a great action hero, not to mention that he is easy on the eyes), but I am personally mortified by the new set of heroes that shall grace the screen in the future! And you wonder why this world is gradually going to the dogs!
Jonathan Rhys Meyers on beauty: "A lot of men are very uptight, but I don't distinguish between male and female beauty. Beauty is beauty." And you wonder why he is an icon among gay men.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers is from Ireland. He had a difficult childhood. His father left his family when he was a child and he spent some time at an orphanage. 
From Paris With Love? And you'd think there was anything romantic about the film?
